


Ambient Girls

by nikogda



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Artist Louis, But I know nothing about art, F/F, Girl Direction, Masturbation, Not heavily detailed but its there, Oral Sex, Outdoor Sex, Sexual Content, Strangers to Lovers, girl harry, girl louis, lots of space talk, semi first time, space nerd Harry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-08
Updated: 2019-05-08
Packaged: 2020-02-28 17:11:46
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,514
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18760819
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nikogda/pseuds/nikogda
Summary: “What can we see right now?” Louis asks. Harry leans in closer, their cheeks brushing as she looks up and points to the sky.“Okay follow my finger, do you see that.” Louis does not know what that is and frowns.“See what?” She asks and she thinks she feels Harry smile.“The star,” Harry responds and Louis snorts.“Harry, are you looking up at the same sky as I am because let me tell you. If you’re excited to see one star.” She feels a shove from Harry.“Do you know the little dipper? Ursa Minor?” Louis nods and points to it. She feels Harry get closer at that.“Alright so follow the tail. Do you see the white light that looks like its twinkling?”“Yeah” Louis whispers, she isn’t sure why she is whispering, but she is and leans closer to Harry.---Or the one where Louis and Harry fall in love under the stars.





	Ambient Girls

**Author's Note:**

  * For [dimpled_halo](https://archiveofourown.org/users/dimpled_halo/gifts).



> I say one thing to [Jacky](http://dimpled-halo.tumblr.com) and the next thing I know I am writing my first Girl Direction fic. Thank you to her for being a wonderful second beta and for supporting me and this fic!  
> Thank you too, [Missytearex.Tumblr](https://missytearex.tumblr.com/) for going over this also!  
> This is fake. It is not real and I wrote it to make it work.

・・☆・ **H** arry ・☆ ・・

 

The late night sky is littered with thousands of stars high above her as she scans across the constellations. As she called each one by name, she lets her eyes trail down the big dipper to the bottom. 

“Arcturus,” she whispers in the darkness and lifts her glasses into her hair. Exhaling with a wide smile across her face, she feels the cool breeze of the late night hours flow around her. Her skirt sweeps behind her while she stretches her arms out on either side of her body. Peace settles within her,  she feels at home. It’s 3 am and she’s alone surrounded by so much and nothing at all. It’s perfect. 

Opening her eyes, she sees the orange hue of a nebula, looking like a small dot in the sky. She sits on her blanket and leans back on her arms. Her eyes closed as she pictures the nebula above. Harry gets lost in the quiet around her, the soft spring breeze leaving goosebumps along her bare arms. She falls back and opens her eyes once more. It’s everything all at once and it’s so much for her to take in, even though she has done this a dozen times or more before. She’s so at peace at this moment. It’s so calm, she wants to close her eyes and fall asleep here. 

Disappear away from the noises of life for just a little longer. 

Her cell phone disrupts the calm ambience as it slowly begins to play the beginning tunes of a song called “Cosmos”. The slow piano picks up the pace and the volume increases as she sighs sitting up. One last look at all the creations above her and she grabs her messenger bag, pulling out her lantern and clicking it on so she can see what she is doing. She can’t wait until summer, when she can be out here all night if she pleases, not having to worry about getting enough sleep for her classes. 

Harry finishes putting everything up. She didn’t feel like using her telescope tonight, she wanted to just let her eyes wander over the creations above her. These things will here for years to come, outliving her and her children. 

 

・・☆・ **L** ouis ・☆ ・・

 

Louis sits on the sidewalk outside of her three bedroom house. The large trees block out the night sky as she blows a puff of smoke into the late-night air. It’s almost four in the morning and she really should be asleep right now. She has class at eleven and is probably not going to make it. She has to. The end of the semester is so close she can almost taste it. She stands and bends over, putting her cigarette out in the old coffee can with all the other butts making a mental note to empty it out in the morning. While dusting off her short sleep shorts she hears the engine of a familiar 1970s Ford pickup pulling into the drive of the duplex complex. 

The complex is small, three duplexes surrounding a small parking area in the back. Only two people park back there, Louis in addition to the owner of the Ford truck pulling in. Louis watches as it passes her slowly before she heads back into her house to try and get some sleep.

The next day, Louis is in art class with her head down and eyes closed. She didn’t get to sleep at a decent hour last night and now as her eyes get heavy, she can’t let herself give in. It’s her last class of the day, and she’s counting down the minutes until she can go home to her small room, curl up under her blankets, and let sleep wash over her. She sits up sighing sleepily as she spots her professor looking at her. No one is talking and she glances around, everyone focused on their work. Her professor lifts an eyebrow and motions for Louis to come to her desk with a finger. Louis stands quietly and walks over, plastering a smile on her face. 

“Rough night, Miss Tomlinson?” She asks stacking some papers before putting them in a green folder.

Louis nods slightly, “Sorry.”   
  
The professor tilts her head as she holds the folder out, “It’s fine. I’m letting people catch up on things today. How is the project coming? You do know that a lot of your grade is riding on it. Am I correct in assuming that it's not going to be an issue for you?”    
  
Louis takes the folders and shakes her head, “No, it’s not. I just need a subject and I haven't been able to find one.” Her shoulders slump and she crosses her arms over her chest. 

“Well, I need you to take those down to auditorium 209B, the astronomy class, and hand them to the professor. My dear husband has left his things in my case again. His temporary room is on your way out if you’d please? If he isn’t in there, just set them on his desk. Also, while I have you here, have you thought about a subject for your project?” 

Louis shook her head. “Well, maybe you should try something different and go with a human subject. In fact, maybe ask Mr Davis, if he knows anyone who might be willing.”

Louis frowns, “So I would basically be given a subject?”    
  
“How far are you on your project, Louis?” 

“I don’t even have a clue,” she responds before looking down at her mismatched vans. 

“I am trying to help you out here. You never do humans and I know you can draw them beautifully. I think you should take this as an opportunity. You only have a month left.”

Louis takes a step back and nods She glances over at the large round clock above the whiteboard. “I appreciate the help. I will talk to him.” She gives a wave and goes to her desk, grabbing her bag and notebook before exiting the class. She takes a left upon leaving and heads down the hall, The squeaking of her sneakers echoes through the quiet building as she walks. She stops in front of a heavy wooden door with the gold plated numbers 209B, before pulling the door open. It opens with a whoosh as she’s hit in the face with a draft of cold air. 

Louis frowns before she begins walking down the stairs of the auditorium, a few heads popping up to look at her before going back to their work. She spots Mr Davis sitting behind his desk with a book in hand. He looks up as she approaches and sets his book down with a small smile. 

“Professor Davis asked me to bring you these.” She holds out the green folder and he perks up, taking it from her. He nods, mumbling thanks as he places them on his desk. 

She clears her throat and winces when it echoes slightly in the quiet room, “Also, Sir. She said I should ask you about a human subject for my illustration project.” 

At that, his old wrinkled eyebrows raise high and his back straightens.  “Yes. You must be Louis. She asked if any of the students could lend a hand. See, their project is for each of them to write a paper after observing the sky over a few weeks.” He waves at the small group of students in the auditorium. There had to be about fifteen at most. “I assigned al the students different times and places for their projects and I have a student who might be able to assist you, she would be the best fit, the only problem is that she had requested her specific time. And well, it may be inconvenient. However that being said, my dear wife thinks she would bring the challenge you need.”    
  
Louis chuckles nodding, “She says everything has been a bit too easy for me.” 

“Well, I have already spoken to the student and she was up for it. She was glad to hear about the idea and would welcome you along, and her living close, I thought would be helpful for you.” 

Hearing Mr Davis explains the assignment makes her stomach swoop. She might have an idea of the person the professor is referring to.

Louis nods, “I am willing to try.”   
  
The professor looks up at the auditorium, “Miss Styles, can you come here for a moment?” 

A head with a messy bun pops up, a few random curls framing her pretty face. She lifted her glasses off her nose and into her hair. She set a coloured pencil down on a book and closed it before standing and walking from the middle of the auditorium toward them. Short torn jean shorts hang from her small frame and she tugged the hem down slightly as she approached. Louis’ eyes scanned over the girl’s body looking away as she got closer. The bright vibrant green eyes meet Louis’ making her blush. 

When she got up to the desk Louis breathed in a soft breath, the smell of rosewater wafted through the air. She glanced at Harry now that she was closer, letting her eyes wander again. Harry had on two shirts, one a floral button down that was open except the last three and a solid pink v-neck under it. Her converse where dark pink with little doodles marked all over them. Two coloured pencils were tucked into the brown messy bun on top of her head. 

Mr Davis cleared his throat and Louis moved her attention to him, he eyed them and smiled. “Harry, this is Louis. The art student I told you about.”    
  
Harry smiled at Louis, a dimple popping out and Louis thought that she may melt right there in front of her. She offered a small wave back to Harry,  suddenly feeling very shy. 

“If you’re still up for letting her observe you so she can do her final project, it would be very wonderful.” 

Harry nodded, “Yes, absolutely, I mean, if she wants to. I know I tend to get up at weird hours and it can be exhausting to some but I would most definitely enjoy the company.” 

Louis looked over at her and nodded, she couldn’t form a word so she smiled at Harry instead. 

“I will leave you to it then.” He dismissed them and Harry headed back to her desk, leaving Louis behind. Louis wasn’t sure what she was supposed to do now so she shrugged and headed up the steps between the rows of small desks to leave.

As she neared Harry, Harry stuck a hand out with a slip of paper. She smiled at Louis who took it before continuing out of the auditorium. Once Louis was in the hall she took a deep breath, her stomach finally relaxing from the tightness she’d been feeling as soon as Harry approached. Louis opened the folded paper that contained sloppy writing but she could read it anyway. It had Harry’s number and address, a reminder of the times. She wrote she would be going out to the field tonight if Louis wanted to join her. Louis added Harry’s number to her phone as she walked out of the university and headed to her car. She didn’t have classes the next day so being up at the hour needed wouldn’t be an issue.    
  
Once Louis got home she headed straight for her bedroom and flopped down on her bed, a heavy sigh escaping her lips. She closed her eyes before opening them again, glancing around her darkened room. She kept the shades drawn so the light was minimal. She rolled over and looked up at the ceiling yawning before giving in, letting her eyes close. A few moments later,  she was out cold. 

Louis was woken hours later by her doorbell going off and she sighed, rolling out of bed and nearly tripping on some shoes on the floor. She headed down the stairs and to the front door, yanking it open with sleep messed hair. Blinking, she frowned when she saw Harry standing out front, backlit by a street light. Harry backed away as Louis moved to come out front, pulling the front door closed behind her. 

“I woke you? I am sorry, I didn’t know were sleeping.” Harry fidgeted with her phone before glancing towards the house next door. She made a small move towards it. 

Louis ran her fingers through her short hair, the fringe in her face not obeying as she tried to brush it behind her ear. It fell forward into her face each time she tried and  gave up. “No. Well, yes you did but I mean no, it’s not a problem” 

Harry still looked unsure and Louis offered a half smile. She was still waking up mentally and confused at why Harry was here. “You’re fine, it's fine. What time is it?” 

“Two. You told me you wanted to meet tonight, I tried texting you, I even tried to ring you. I guess I should have taken a hint. I am sorry, Louis I can go.” 

“Why are you at my house?” Louis kicked herself after the words slipped out of her mouth and she groaned. Harry’s face fell even more and Louis did not think that was possible.

“I am sorry. I won’t bother you again. Night, Louis.” 

Louis grabbed Harry’s sleeve to stop her from walking but Harry ignored it, walking towards her place next door. Louis tugged harder but kept following. They ended up between their joined places before Louis stomped her foot. “Harry stop!” 

Harry stopped and turned around, her eyes landing on the hand on her sleeve. She reached up and pulled Louis’ hand away from her.    
  
“I just mean, how did you know where I lived?”    
  
Harry stood there quietly for a moment before she looked at her place, then at Louis’ place. “We live next door. I recognised you in my class today.” 

Louis frowned, she felt like an absolute moron right now. She knew Harry was her neighbour when she saw her approach the desk today. But it hadn’t actually registered to her until now. Louis looked over at Harry, she looked sad and rejected and it was kind of endearing right now. Her porch light cast a soft glow on half of her face. Her hair was still up, but it was now in a ballerina bun, a few wisps of curls framing her face. She wore the same things she had on during class. Louis stood there for a moment staring at her. There was sadness in her expression and a slant on her shoulders. Louis looked over at her door before she turned back to Harry.

Louis walked a little closer to her, watching as she didn’t meet her eyes. She glanced at Louis’ face but her eyes shot away, past her. Louis sighed because when she opened the front door Harry had looked happier. And now, she looked dejected. 

“Harry, may I accompany you tonight to see some stars?” Louis asked, batting her eyelashes at her. 

Harry’s lip twitched slightly and she nodded, “If you want to.”

“I want to, I promise I do. I am sorry if I came off like I didn’t. I’d fallen asleep after classes and you woke me up. I was disoriented and very confused. Just, let me run in and grab some stuff.” Harry nodded in response and Louis headed back in to get her bag. 

She opened the downstairs closet door and looked at herself in the full-length mirror. She had on a pair of jeans and a tie-dyed shirt with blue and yellow Vans. She shrugged and tugged her shirt off, tossing it on the floor before she went into the kitchen to the washer and dryer and grabbed a clean button down yellow and purple plaid shirt and a tank top. She pulled both on and headed out the front door with her bag, finding Harry’s blue truck idling in the drive. Harry was sitting behind the wheel, watching Louis as she got in. She was quiet, a slight smile before she started to drive away. 

Louis finished buckling up and dropped her bag on the floor before she picked it back up and pulled her phone out. It had four percent left and had set it on to do not disturb. She plugged her phone into her spare power block and opened Harry’s texts.

_ “Hey, Louis! This is Harry, I’m really glad you want to join me tonight. I look forward to it. Let me know when you want me to pick you up! Have a great rest of your day.” _

Louis looked over at Harry before going back to the texts. She licked her lips before typing.    
  
_ “Harry! Hey great! I am excited, I am sorry it took so long for me to get back to you, I hope you forgive me. I really am looking forward to this. And honestly, looking forward to you being my visual for my art project. I enjoy looking at pretty things.”  _

She bit her bottom lips as she hit send and immediately put her phone back in her bag. A moment later she heard a weird chirp and Harry shift a bit as her notification went off. The rest of the drive was quiet, surrounded by the occasional passing car. Louis looked over at the time and glanced at Harry. Oncoming car lights flashed across her face, her expressions focused as she drove down the rural two-lane highway. Louis watched her in the safety of the dark where she sat, letting her eyes roam over the bits she’d see with the occasional car. It wasn’t long before Harry flipped her turn signal and slowed down before taking a right turn off the road and on to a dirt road. They swayed and bumped as they drove a few miles out.    
  
Louis looked back in the side mirror, watching the small flickers of city lights in the distance. She isn’t too sure how long they’d been driving before they take another turn and more dirt gets kicked up behind them. She stares out the window and her jaw drops when she sees the brightness of the stars above. They come to a stop after one more left turn. Harry pulls out a lantern, it’s on low with just a soft glow but enough to see. 

“If you want to wait, I can come around to you and let you out. The ground is kind of uneven here.” Louis nods before opening the truck door.

“I can manage, I think.” She offered a smile hoping she doesn’t come off harsh. She seems to be doing that tonight and that is the last thing she wants. 

Louis is stood by the front of the truck, her bag in hand as she watches in the dark. Harry is spreading out a couple of blankets and a large long pillow as she gets her telescope out of a fancy case. She flicks the lantern to red, a soft glow on her features as she looks into the distance, trying to find Louis. Louis looks down in the dark and takes a hesitant step forward. Harry’s found her now in the dark and watching her approach and Louis feels like a million eyes are on her right now when only two beautiful green ones are. She looks up as she gets closer, as Harry sets the lantern on a small book the red glow illuminating the lower half of her face before she turns and goes over to her telescope. 

“If you need more light, I can turn it back up to the white. I don’t know what you need.” Harry offers as she messes about her telescope. 

Louis sits beside the lantern and doesn’t bother pulling her art stuff out. She’s good at drawing from memory and has a good idea of what she wants to do for her project. And right now, all she wants to do is take in everything in front of her. That right now would be Harry moving around, setting up a little area on the blanket for her and her book. She’s sitting now beside Louis, scribbling in her notebook with the red glow behind her. Louis tilts her head to watch her. She watches the way she bites her bottom lip as she rights, the way she brings her notebook to her face to try and read what she has written. How she pauses for a moment to take her hair down and run her fingers through it. Louis wants to do that, wants to run her fingers through Harry’s curls. Her hand twitches and she clears her throat before pulling out a notebook. The plan she had in mind to do has changed and now she wants this moment right here. 

Harry’s hair lightly flows in the soft spring breeze, encompassed by a soft halo of red. Louis looks up at the sky, a gasp falling from her lips as she sees the sky above her. Thousands of white flickering specs above and she takes it in for the first time, fulling takes in the magnitude of the night sky.    
  
“That’s not even all of it.” Harry’s words breathe into the night air and Louis nods, her focus still above. 

“This is only part of what we can see, out at the observatory you can see so much more.” Louis looks over at Harry at that.

“More?”    
  
Harry nods and moves closer to Louis, their shoulders bumping. “Because of the location we are in we can only see so much, also due to the time of year. If we are out at the observatory the difference due to light pollution is amazing. This above us is insane to me even now. I’ve been coming out here for a few years now and I am still blown away. But it gets even better.” 

Louis finally pulls her eyes off the sky above them to stare at Harry. She’s close in the dark and Louis thinks she feels puffs of Harry's breath flow across her face. It smells like cotton candy. 

“What can we see right now?” Louis asks. Harry leans in closer, their cheeks brushing as she looks up and points to the sky. 

“Okay follow my finger, do you see that.” Louis does not know what that is and frowns. 

“See what?” She asks and she thinks she feels Harry smile. 

“The star,” Harry responds and Louis snorts.

“Harry, are you looking up at the same sky as I am because let me tell you. If you’re excited to see one star.” She feels a shove from Harry. 

“Do you know the little dipper? Ursa Minor?” Louis nods and points to it. She feels Harry get closer at that.

“Alright so follow the tail. Do you see the white light that looks like its twinkling?”

“Yeah” Louis whispers, she isn’t sure why she is whispering, but she is and leans closer to Harry.

“That is Polaris., It's the brightest star in the constellation of Ursa Minor and is very close to the north celestial pole, making it the current northern pole star.” She pulls away and Louis wants to pull her back near her. A breeze picks up and the smell of rosewater washes over her. She closes her eyes for a moment before she tilts her head to see the star that was pointed out to her.

“Why are some stars brighter than others?” Louis feels stupid for asking but doesn't state it because she hears Harry clap at the question. So it must have been a good one. 

“It’s because the brightness levels vary greatly. Some stars burn brighter than like a million suns while others only emit a millionth of the sun’s brightness. The other reason is proximity. The sun is technically the brightest star when viewed from Earth, but it is also the closest star to Earth. In reality, the sun is in the middle of the brightness range when compared to other stars.” 

Louis glances back over at Harry. “Can we see any planets without a telescope?”   
  
Harry nods excitedly and starts to tell Louis which ones, turning to point them out. “That’s Jupiter. The one that is orangish colour.” 

Louis squints moving closer, her head near Harry’s arm as she follows the line of sight, spotting an orange hue orb in the sky. “Wait really? Why does it glow?” 

“Planets are smaller than the stars and they appear about the same size because they are so close to us. They get light because they reflect the light of the sun, like the way our moon does.” Louis turns to see Harry, smiling.

“So, what is a random fact about space you can give me?” They both sit back down with their knees touching and Harry hums for a moment. 

“Okay, so you can actually sort of see it if you know what to look for sometimes. The star Mirach in the constellation Andromeda acts as the guide star to actually three different galaxies. M31 which is the Andromeda galaxy, M33 is the Triangulum galaxy, and NGC 404. And, Mirach lies at a distance of only two hundred light-years but it can help you find objects that are millions of light-years away.”    
  
Louis slides her hand to Harry’s knee and looks up at the sky above them. They sit in silence for a while,  watching the stars above them. After a couple of more minutes Harry gets up to do whatever it is she does as Louis watches her in the dark. Louis’ mind races and she can’t focus on what she should be focusing on. A rough draft of her drawing done in the soft red glow of a tiny lantern. She watches as Harry runs her fingers through her hair before pulling it up in a bun, tucking a few stray hairs behind her ears and adjusts her telescope. Louis to view things through Harry’s eyes so she can understand what she sees that makes her so elated.    
  
She also wants to just sit here and watch her move about as if she’s forgotten Louis is even sitting here. Louis reaches over and tugs her bag to pull out a pencil and sketchbook. She crawls closer to the red light on the blanket beneath her and glances at Harry. Louis looks up at the stars and makes little marks for the few constellations she sees that she knew of, listening as Harry talks to herself before she comes to sit beside Louis, just in front of her so they can share the light. Harry’s head is down as she scribbles away in her book, and while her hair is up, Louis remembers the way it flowed in the breeze earlier. She gets up and goes to her bag, disconnecting her phone from it and sees a text message and slides her finger over it to open. It’s from Harry. 

_ “You can study me anytime you need, all you ever had to do was ask me.” _ Louis closes the text and walks over to Harry who’s still lost in her own world. She opens the camera as she sits back on her spot and turns on the flash. In the dark, she finds her focus which is Harry and takes a few quick photos. 

Harry looks up when she notices the flash of the camera go off, she has a pencil between her lips. Louis shrugs, “Reference for later.” They both go back to their own work in silence.

Louis doesn’t get much done. She spends plenty of time just watching Harry move around the small blanket, listens as she gives random facts and points things out. Harry is so endearing and Louis could spend all night here. Harry has other plans because before Louis knows it she’s packing up and telling her it’s time they head back. The ride home is quiet again and Louis watches the stars out the window, her head tilted on the glass as the dark world outside passes them by. 

 

・・☆・ **H** arry ・☆ ・・

 

The sun is slowly setting as she wanders along the railroad near an empty field. She’s a couple of miles from home. It started off so simple really, a light walk before it got too dark, some time to herself, to her thoughts. Those thoughts started to turn and before she knew it she was two miles from home and the large sun was cut in half by the horizon. Although she knew that was the moment to turn back, Harry kept walking forward. Kept kicking at random rocks as she went. Her hair blew as the wind picked up and she drew her attention from the rock rolling away from her feet to look at the darkening clouds in the distance. Harry sighed and looked behind her to find more clouds and sat down. She knows she should just get up and go back home, she’ll likely beat the storms moving in but at the same time defeat washes over her.    
  
Today had started out amazing but before she even left the house it had worked its way from amazing to suitable. Once it got to lunch, it was over. She was ready to pack up and go home, go back to bed and disappear. She actually ended up in an argument with a professor in her physics class when he started to argue with her on how Earth was an inertial frame of reference. When Harry had responded and given her reasons for her answer she was told off and then dismissed. It was downhill from there. She snapped in her Astronomy class and didn’t even bother after that. Now a storm was coming and from the sound of the thunder and the wind gusts picking up, sooner rather than later.

She pulled her phone out and a text from Louis had popped up. Louis had sent a thumbs up emoji in response to Harry asking her if she was still on for stargazing. Harry sighed because that was supposed to be tonight. Now though from the looks of it she should have watched the weather better. Harry hit the call button beside Louis’ name and brought the phone to her ear with a sigh. 

Harry groaned, mumbling to herself that she wasn’t wrong. 

“Wrong about what?” Louis’ voice spoke and Harry blinked at the storm clouds.

“Inertial frame and earth. Because the earth is rotating, it is never strictly an inertial reference frame. However, because the effects are small in many situations, it can often be approximated as one.” She breathed out in frustration and heard a hum. 

“Well, sounds interesting, love. But as far as that goes, I don’t have much of an opinion on the matter.” Louis spoke, it was soft and calming. Harry closed her eyes. 

“It’s going to storm tonight.” Harry finally said after a brief moment of silence between them.

“I know. I figured you may be waiting to see how it developed. You know how it is around here. Looks like a nightmare and thirty minutes later it’s clear as ever.” 

“I wanted to see the stars tonight. I needed to see them, Louis.” She bites the inside of her bottom lip. She feels like this is her breaking point. To go out and be able to look up at the stars after a stressful day is always so freeing. It’s like a renewal for her. And now she can’t and she’s two and a half miles, maybe from home.    
  
The thunder rumbles louder as it draws closer and she eyes the storms on both sides of her, she hears Louis moving around. “Where are you, Harry?” She asks and Harry shrugs.

“Out by the railroads.”   
  
“Near the baseball fields?” Louis asks and Harry hears a door close.

“Not quite. A little bit west of there maybe. I can see the old rest stop.”    
  
“Jesus, Harry. That’s around four miles from here. Your truck is out back. How’d you get there?” Harry hears the familiar beep of Louis’ car unlocking and she feels a pelt of rainfall on her.

“I walked.”    
  
“Had a feeling that would be the follow-up. I’m on my way to get you. It’s already raining at the house. Just get under one of the awnings.” 

“It's metal though,” Harry says as she gets up and heads towards the roadside rest stop. 

“Oh come on now, love. Even I know that you know lightning isn’t really attracted to anything. The benches are not connected to the metal, don’t touch the metal and you will be okay. The metal is grounded.” Harry hummed in response before she sighed.

“I wanted to see the stars with you, Louis.” She hears Louis sigh on the other end of the line, hears the thunder rumbling longer and louder this time. 

“Let’s just focus on me getting you home okay? I’m going to hang up so I can drive. I’ll be right there.” 

They both said their goodbyes and Harry put her phone in her messenger bag. She watched as the rain slowly began to fall, large drops thumping down on the metal roofing of the awning. She picked at the skin by her nail and took slow steady breaths. She loves storms, absolutely loves them. That is when she is inside somewhere. Not sitting under an old awning in the middle of nowhere. 

Harry stands and climbs onto the concrete table top of the picnic table and pulls her feet beneath her thighs, sitting criss-cross as she watches the storm move in. It’s heavy and visibility is almost nothing now. She worries about Louis driving in it as she looks at the few cars that are now pulling in. Possibly to ride out the storm. She watches the traffic slow as the heavy rain loudly pours down and puddles on the ground. She closes her eyes and balls her hands up into fists. She’s angry at herself, at today, at everything right now and she is close to her breaking point. All she wants to do is go home and have a good cry. A honk startles her and she looks up to see a small black Nissan sitting there. She leans down, spotting Louis in the half-open window waving at her. Harry hops down and runs to the door, opening it in a hurry and gets in. She’s wet but not that bad and Louis has the heat on low. Harry buckles and closes her eyes once she is settled. 

She feels Louis’ hand on her knee and she opens her eyes to see her looking at her. “Thank you, Louis.”

“Always.” Is all she says as she pulls out of the rest stop. 

Once they drive up to the complex, Louis invites Harry to come over. Harry almost declines so that she can go lay in her bed and sulk with the rain as background music. Instead, she agrees and runs into Louis’ place close behind so they don’t get too wet. She slips and falls outside the door, her plan to not get much wetter ruined as she gets up and realises she’s fallen in the mud. She almost leaves right then but Louis is helping her up and inside before Harry can argue. She’s standing in the downstairs bathroom just off the front door and a towel is being handed to her before she even knows it.    
  
“I'll grab you some clothes hang on.” And Louis is gone before she knows it. She takes her bag off and sets it outside the bathroom door, thankful it isn’t soaked or covered in mud. It will dry and she isn’t worried about anything inside being ruined. 

Harry begins to strip from her wet clothes and dries off with the soft oversized towel. She briefly wonders if she could steal it when she leaves when there’s a soft knock on the bathroom door. She opens it, peaking out seeing Louis in a change of clothes holding some out to her. She takes them with a soft thanks and starts to pull on the shirt and joggers. The shirt is just loose enough she feels comfortable being without a bra and the joggers fit her a little right. She feels slightly more relaxed until she comes out of the bathroom and Louis swoops in to pick up her clothes before disappearing again. 

She stands in the living area and looks around, it's small like hers. The sofa is blue and against the wall and a beige recliner to the side of it. The television is on a stand in front of the fireplace, literally blocking the fireplace and Harry raises an eyebrow. Louis walks back in with a juice box and hands it to Harry who takes it with a smile before she heads upstairs. Harry follows close behind, jumping slightly when a loud clap of thunder startles her. She grabs Louis’ shirt and tugs on it without fully realising she’d done so.    
  
Louis leads Harry to her bedroom, the first door on the right just up the stairs, closing it behind them after Harry enters. The bed takes up the majority of the space with the shades drawn and a black sheet stapled around the window. There’s a dresser in the corner with a television on it and an Xbox. Plastic bins line the wall between the door and dresser, labelled with art supplies. Louis is standing beside Harry, sipping on her juice box before she pokes Harry.    
  
“You can sit on the bed if you want.” Harry nods and looks over at the bed. Four different types of throw blankets and at least double that in pillows. She sits on the edge of the bed and watches as Louis digs in her closet beside the bedroom door. 

Harry sips on her juice box before setting it on the makeshift bedside table beside the queen bed and watches as Louis plugs something in. She turns off the overhead light and turns on the small black globe that she’d just plugged in. Harry watches as a bright white light appears through little dots, moving slowly. She looks up at the ceiling and her mouth drops open at the sight. Above her are dozens of tiny stars being projected above and slowly moving across the ceiling. She feels the bed sink in slightly as Louis sits beside her. Harry smiles a little and glances at Louis who looks nervous, her bottom lip caught between her teeth. 

“You didn’t have to,” Harry says before looking back at the stars.

“Well, they aren’t real. Not like I could go bring you a bright ball of gas.” Harry snorts.

“Did you know that there are stars known as Supergiants? They are luminous stars with a mass more than ten times higher than our sun and have started to decay.”   
  
“I want to ask about how stars decay but I have a feeling it may lead into a whole discussion about neutrons and such that I am not ready for right now.” 

Harry laughs lightly and hugs Louis instead of responding. Louis wraps her arms around Harry’s waist and pulls them both back on to the bed. Harry shifts over more to allow  room for Louis and they’re lying side by side with their arms and legs touching. Harry looks up at the fake stars moving in a slow circle across the ceiling and walls as the room slowly dips into darkness and the storm doesn’t let up. She slowly relaxes, closing her eyes out of content. She feels the faint touch on her hand so she turns her  palm up and Louis gently brushes her fingers across it. 

They lay there quietly side by side, watching the small specks of light drift around on the ceiling as Louis runs her fingers up and down Harry’s palm. It’s comfortable and quiet, the storm outside easing them into a light sleep. Harry’s eyes would drift close for a few moments before she lets them fall open again, she tilts her head and looks at Louis whose attention is on her now. Their eyes lock and they stare at one another, hands clasping together between them. Everything she was feeling is lighter now,  far gone and away from her. She lets her eyes stay locked on the blue ones in front of her and squeezes the hand holding hers. She sighs softly before shifting closer if that is even possible given the proximity between them. 

“What happens if you touch a star?” Louis asks quietly. 

Harry frowns for a moment at the question before she smiles some. “Any star you can see in the sky is hot enough to destroy your body instantaneously if you came anywhere near them.” 

It falls quiet for a moment and Harry looks up at the ceiling before she follows a small formation of the Hydra constellation move across, her eyes catch on the tip of Louis’ nose and she lets her eyes trace Louis’ profile. Their eyes meet when Louis looks back at her. 

“We’re made of stardust, right?” Louis asks and Harry blinks before she responds.

“Well, the six most common elements of life on Earth are carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, sulphur and phosphorus. They are the exact same elements that are in the Milky Way galaxy.” 

Louis smirks and Harry almost knows where this is going, she keeps her face calm instead and watches her. “So what would happen if I touched you?” 

Harry swallowed, pulling her bottom lip into her teeth before she took a deep breath. “You’d have to find out.” 

Harry isn’t quite sure what she expects to happen, but Louis leaning in and nosing along her jawline to her neck and nuzzling her face into her skin wasn't it. She can feel Louis’ breath ghosting over her skin, relaxing her in a weird but comfortable way. It feels right, and as if it was something they always did. Harry tells herself to go with it, not to question this feeling swirling down inside of her. Louis moves her hand across Harry’s stomach, pushing it under her shirt. She can feel Louis’ palm flat against her skin and her breath hitches as it slides up her abdomen, stopping between her breasts. Louis keeps her hand still, her hand against Harry’s sternum. Harry breathes in and out slowly as Louis feels the rise and fall of her chest. She wonders if Louis can feel the way her heart picked up pace as her lips brushed Harry’s skin. 

Harry tries to wrap her mind around this moment before she forces herself to stop, stop overthinking this and to just let it happen. Whatever happens, is supposed to happen she tells herself. Which is not at all what she likes to think about the way life goes. She doesn’t believe for one moment that life happens how it’s meant to. Or more she would rather not believe that because sometimes life really likes to kick you in the ass and spit on your face. She swallows, pushing that aside because now is not the time. Now is not the time to have such unprepossessing thoughts. No, it’s a time to just exist in this moment. This brief moment in her life that may go on to be something else or may become a memory meant to fade through the years. She tells herself to stop thinking, stop letting the wheels of her mind turn and just exist because time is meaningless. 

Harry licks her lips, feeling Louis’ hand slide slowly towards her right breast. She holds her breath for a moment, letting it out slowly. 

She licks her lips once more, “The dividing line between past, present, and future is an illusion.”    
  
She feels Louis halt and she mentally begins to berate herself for speaking. 

Louis pulls back slightly, “Do what now?” She asks, her hand remains where it is and her breath ghosts across Harry’s cheek. 

Harry turns her head, Louis’ eyes are scanning her face and she startles when she hears the tapping of hail as it hits against the window from the storm that hasn’t calmed any.

“Nothing,” Harry responds after a moment of quiet between them. She presses her lips together tightly and shifts just slightly, hinting at Louis to do something. Mentally telling her to please touch her, please withdraw or touch her just do anything because she needs to shut her mind off. Louis’ fingertips are on the edge of Harry’s breast and she wishes she would move it one way or another. 

Louis hesitates, and Harry wants to tell her to not, tell her to just stop thinking but she feels like if she speaks more random shit will spill out. Harry does not want to run the risk of ruining this moment because she feels like she is on the edge of something. Of what, she is unsure of but she knows she can feel a change in the room, a change between two people who were up until recently, simply strangers and neighbours. A change she wants to see and at the same time doesn’t. 

“Touch me,” she whispers, unsure if Louis even hears her words. 

It’s quiet for a moment, a moment that feels so much longer than sixty seconds would allow and she almost wants to move away. The storm outside has the overgrown oak tree in Louis’ yard swaying. She can hear the wind blow through its’ branches and the wind picks up a gust, sending Louis’ shades moving. She thinks the world outside is so fitting for what is going on inside her. She nearly snorts at her own thoughts when Louis speaks.

“There’s no going back.” Her voice is low and quiet. Harry almost didn’t hear her speak. Harry swallows and takes a deep breath. 

“It doesn’t matter. In another time and place, you’ve already removed yourself from me. And in another time and place, you’ve already touched me. It’s time for you to catch up.” She’s taken back by her own words, the words coming out braver than she feels. However, there is no going back now. The words are out and she has left it up to Louis to decide where to go from here. 

She isn’t sure which way she hopes for because she can’t calm herself. She wants both, but she thinks she may want one more than the other. Louis smirks, she can just barely see it in the semi-darkness of the bedroom. The projector is still going across the ceiling and walls and it crosses the blankets with slow patterns of Orion and Lyra, of tiny specks of light that represent the stars above. 

Louis leans in, slowly and she softly kisses the corner of Harry’s lips. She closes her eyes and tilts her head as she presses her face on Harry’s shoulder. Her fingers inch forward, her palm sliding over the top of Harry’s breast. She watches Louis’ face as she touches Harry. 

Harry swallows, bringing her hand up to slide her shirt up, exposing herself to the semi-dark room and Louis lifts her head, not looking at Harry’s breasts. She keeps her hand put and her eyes on Harry’s. Louis leans in, her lips close, so close  Harry can almost taste them. Harry wants her to make the move. She doesn’t think she can close the very small gap between them and seal the deal. Because Louis is right, there is no turning back. 

When Louis finally puts her lips on Harry’s, she closes her eyes. It’s slow and soft, their lips barely lingering for a moment before Louis goes in for more. Even when the kiss slowly deepens it’s still gentle and Harry wants more. She wants to taste her mouth and her skin, all of her. But not tonight, not right now because it's all so much and not enough at once and she is overwhelmed as she gasps into Louis’ mouth. Louis moves her hand as she works down Harry’s body. Her lips draw closer to her breast and she tilts her head back, watching the constellations pass above. She feels Louis’ lips drift over the top of her breast before wrapping around her nipple, her hand reaches out and finds Louis’ hair, tugging slightly as she bites on her bottom lip. 

She breathes out at the way Louis’ tongue flicks across her skin, the way her hand is gripping her hip, a slow movement of pushing her joggers down and she wants to push Louis down farther, wants so much. And she wants to tell her to stop because it’s all so much at once. But every time she feels like this is too fast, Louis does something with her tongue on her nipples, which have now moved to the other breast and she fights a moan, gasping out instead with her fingers tangled in Louis’ hair. And Louis is sliding her thumbs soothingly up and down her ribs as she nips at her breast, as her other hand is pushing Harry’s joggers down. 

Harry knows when it happens. She knows the moment she realises she really needs to feel Louis in other places on her body. She knows when she is sure that’s what she is aching for. She moans softly when Louis begins to kiss her abdomen, slowly nipping at the soft skin as she moves downward. 

“Please.” She pleads in a breathy voice and looks down. The stencilled constellations and stars are drifting across Louis’ face as she glances up from where she is kissing Harry’s body. 

Louis sets her chin on Harry’s low abdomen, her bright eyes meeting Harry’s in the semi-dark room and she hums for a moment before she sits up, the constellations crossing her profile as she slowly pulls Harry’s joggers off her long legs. Harry immediately blushes and closes her knees tightly, locking Louis out who looks over at Harry and tilts her head. 

“Are you okay?” She asks quietly and Harry nods. 

“Bit shy.” She whispers and Louis runs her hands up her calves.    
  
“Have you ever done this?” 

Harry shakes her head, her hair getting pressed against the pillow as she moves, “Not with a girl.” 

“Do you want this to happen? I’ll stop if you want me to, it’s okay..” 

Harry swoons at that and smiles slightly. She does want it to happen, she wants this to happen. She nods, “Keep going, please. If you want to, I mean.” 

“I want to. Oh, do I want to. But I won’t if you don’t want me to.” 

“I really do want you to, Louis. Please?” Louis nods and leans down, kissing the top of Harry’s knee. 

“Give me a constellation name,” Louis asks and her hands are sliding across the outside of Harry’s closed thighs. 

Harry looks up at the constellations passing across the popcorn ceiling and she spots one, following it across the black sheet and blurred, misshapen over the bed before crawls up the wall.

“Lyra,” she says quietly, watching it make its way back to Louis as Louis lightly scratches up Harry’s thighs. 

“Tell me something about Lyra.”    
  
“It's a constellation in the northern skies.” 

Harry feels Louis slowly pull her legs apart and she closes her eyes tightly, “Keep talking, love.” She nods in response to Louis.

Harry swallows when she feels Louis move back between her legs, feels her hands on the inside of her thighs slowly moving inward, “Lyra contains the star Vega and that is the fifth brightest star in the sky.” 

Louis mumbles for her to keep going as she kisses down Harry’s thighs, moving inward, her hands on Harry’s hips. The other hand slowly moving back down. Harry watches as the stencilled stars shift across Louis’ body. 

She swallows when she feels her drawing closer between her legs and she licks her lips, “Ophiuchus is an ancient constellation,” she breathes out, daring herself to glance down as she feels Louis’ hand slide between her legs. She doesn’t though and Louis instructs her to continue talking as her fingers brush across her skin, brushing between her legs. 

“Ophiuchus is usually associated with the Greek legend of Asclepius. Asclepius was a physician that was later worshipped as a god of medicine. It is-” She moans when Louis slowly slips a finger inside her, a shiver runs through her body and she instinctively digs her fingers into the blankets. 

“It is said tha- that Asclepius was so talented at the art of healing…” she loses her train of thought when Louis’ tongue brushes against her clit with two fingers moving inside her. She feels an intense pleasure coursed through her body and she shifts her hips only to frown when Louis pulls away and instructs her to keep talking. 

Harry isn’t sure she can keep going with Louis’ tongue touching her like it is. She takes a deep breath and moans again, sighing as she opens her eyes. “That he could bring the dead back to life, a skill that he learned from a snake. Hades, the god of the underworld- Oh my god, Louis, please.” She bites into her bottom lip as Louis slips her tongue inside of her and her thumb over Harry’s clit and she doesn’t think she can keep talking. Louis abruptly pulls back and levels her in the semi-dark with a stare that makes her want to whimper and moan.    


“Continue, and I’ll continue.” Louis nods and runs her hand over her stomach. 

“Hades worried that he would no longer be needed, convinced Zeus to destroy Asclepius. So-” She gasps and parts her legs more. Her foot finds Louis’ body as she moves back between her legs and her mouth was back on her, pulling pleasure through her body once more. “Zeus struck him down with a thunderbolt, and then placed his image in the sky.” More moans filled the air, soundtracked by the storm outside that kept moving across their world. Protected in the four walls of Louis’ small bedroom. 

Harry kept talking about constellations and their stories, between her words, were moans and Louis’ name falling from her lips as Louis brought her to pleasure and made her forget her words. Her orgasm was pulled from her body by Louis’ mouth and fingers in her as she attempted with heavy pants and soft moans to tell about Pavo, the peacock and how the peacock was the symbol for the goddess Hera.    
  
Louis crawled slowly up her body, Harry’s thigh between her legs and kissed her deeply. Their tongues brushed as she rocked her body against Harry’s thigh, putting friction between her legs that drew soft moans from her lips in between kisses. Eventually, Louis brought herself to her own pleasure, with her own hand moving between her legs, inside her joggers. Harry tugged Louis up, cupping her face and kissed her gently, but deeply. Her thumbs on Louis’ cheeks. All the stress from that day washed away. 

 

・・☆・ **L** ouis ・☆ ・・

 

Louis was bored out of her mind and a tad bit drunk. Maybe a lot more than tad but who’s counting? She hadn’t seen Harry in three days and she was trying to clamp down the negative thoughts that decided to weasel their way into the forefront of her mind. She’d go to bed, find the lingering scent of rosewater on her pillow and her mind would drift to the thoughts she had successfully kept hidden away. Also wondering how the hell the smell of Harry can last so long is beyond her. She brushes it off as her wanting to find the smell of Harry being left days later on her bed. So her mind thinks the smell is there when she sees her bed and remembers that night with Harry. 

She ended up googling it and came up with other stuff and ended up on some sights about astrophysics which, was very much out of her realm of thinking and it made her sadder because she thinks if Harry was with her, she could dumb down the words for her to understand. Louis would replay the night in her heard, the night she pulled the smallest of gasps out of the most beautiful girl while she talked about constellations in the sky. She’d replay the night she watched her focus on a specific spot in the sky, when Louis would look up she saw nothing but a bunch of dancing dots of light. But she knows to Harry, it was a whole world of science above her that made her heart swarm. 

Louis was currently playing pretend with herself. It had started off easy enough, stop thinking about Harry and how she was feeling with her not talking to Louis. One beer in, golden. Two, three, four and more and she was done. She was heavily going over everything, wondering if she could have done something wrong.  Did she come off too strong, too soon? Did she make Harry feel uncomfortable? Her stomach twisted at that thought because that, that was the last thing she ever wanted to cause another person especially in that moment of intimacy. She knows very well that for Harry to lay there, so bare in front of Louis and let Louis see parts of her, touch her, taste her and cause her to feel the way she did is so private and personal. She knows that to let yourself go in that type of moment when you hadn’t with a certain person before, well it’s intimidating sometimes. Louis is a confident person who has no issues baring herself to anyone. But even she feels the shyness creeping up when a pretty girl is pushing her thighs apart. 

She was also aware that Harry had said she’d never done that specific thing with a girl before. And she wonders if she’d just been a curious person. But Louis pushes that aside with a half shrug and a long drink from her half-empty beer bottle. Everyone has to start somewhere.  Louis is sitting out front at sundown, a beer in her hand - her ninth - and she is staring down a dove who is picking little tiny soft baby pine cones out of one of the pots that Harry had planted over the last few days. Louis is so used to seeing the potted plants every spring and summer. She surprises herself that she never fully registered Harry’s existence until now. They would often coexist out front for hours on end with no acknowledgement to the other’s presence except for a polite nod. 

Louis finishes her bottle and sets it aside with the other empty ones. She sways a little as she reaches for another, pulling her hand back with a soft grunt. She looks over at the setting sun, hidden behind small houses as it disappears beyond the horizon. Louis pulls her knees to her chest and lays her head on them. Closing her eyes, she feels the spring evening air blow across her face. She tunes out the world, just listening to the sound of children’s laughter at the playground a few streets away and some birds chirping high above in the trees. She doesn’t even notice that she is no longer alone, that Harry is sitting in her front yard plucking the tiny soft newborn pine cones from the pots she planted her flowers in. 

Louis opens her eyes slowly and squints at the white garage she is now facing and sits up, dropping her bare legs to the warm concrete. She looks out towards the street before her attention is drawn to the middle of the yard. Her eyes drift over the back of Harry who is in in an oversized shirt with a few holes in it and a pair of torn jeans cut off at her calf. Her feet are bare and she pushes them into the grass, wiggling her toes. Her hair is down and the wind picks it up in the gust that flows through the air. Louis suspects her eyes are closed as she tucks her hands behind her knees and falls back onto her back with her legs bent. She lets go and stretches her arms out in the grass and lets her legs fall out as she starfishes. Her eyes are closed as she hums quietly and Louis wonders if Harry is aware that Louis is outside or not. She figures she has to be because Louis isn’t invisible. 

Harry tilts her head back and her eyes open, locking on Louis and Louis wishes she was invisible. She stays very still, maybe Harry won’t stop her. Only she just stares at Louis with a look that makes Louis wonder if this is how the stars she examines high above in the night sky feel. Louis almost expects her to hum and pull out a notebook to jot some words down. And then it’s over and she’s looking away as she sits up and moves to stand. Louis watches as she stumbles before getting to her feet and dusts her bum off before she heads to the street. Louis watches as she walks along the curb and she swallows. 

“Do you hate me?” Louis speaks and she isn’t sure Harry heard but when Harry stops what she’s doing and walks over to her, she knows she heard her. 

“What kind of question is that?” She’s blocking the light of the setting sun and Louis looks up at her. 

“You haven't spoken to me.” 

Harry sits down in front of Louis and she squints at her. “I’ve been busy.”   
  
Louis snorts because that’s what everyone says when they decide she becomes too much. 

“Louis, I had to think and I had to work on my paper. I just needed some time.”    
  
“You could have told me that.”    
  
Harry sighs and puts her hands in her lap. She has black nail polish on and it’s chipped. “I wasn’t sure how to go about it.”    
  
“Being honest is a start.” Louis reaches out and tugs a frayed part of Harry’s jeans. It unravels a little more. 

“Sometimes, it’s not easy for me to put into words how I feel. So I just don’t. It causes problems, I know but it wasn’t you at all and I know that sounds typical. But honestly, I enjoyed every moment I have spent with you.” 

“Have you ever been with a girl at all or was I the first?” Louis asks and she isn’t sure why because she knows in all fairness it isn’t her business. She looks up and Harry’s scratching her wrist lightly before she meets Louis’ eyes.

“Not like I have with you, but yes. It was all over our clothes. I never felt comfortable letting someone be that way with me. I don’t like the idea of just hooking up to get off with someone. I want to feel things when I am with them.”   
Louis tilts her head and licks her lips. They feel numb and she is sure she is slurring. “Do I make you feel things?” 

“You make me feel like I am the most amazing thing. You watch me and watch what I do and just study me. I see you doing it and I’ve known you’ve done it long before we ever spoke. I’d be out doing yard work and you’d be sitting here watching me.” 

Louis reaches out and tugs on Harry’s hand, “You are the most beautiful person I’ve ever laid eyes on. You are so many things combined that I don’t think I have the time to even begin to try and tell you how amazing you are.”    
  
Harry smiles weakly and looks up at Louis, Louis smiles back and neither are smiling as bright as they could be but it’s something and Louis takes it. She leans forward and kisses Harry on the cheek.    
  
“I just need you to tell me if you need time. I won’t mind, I promise you.” 

Harry nods and leans forward, kissing Louis on the tip of her nose. “I am sorry. I really should have just said something because it is better than nothing but, I didn’t know where to start. I was confused and overwhelmed but all I knew was I just wanted to repeat that night over and over with you.” 

“I worried I came on too strong,” Louis says and she runs her fingers up and down Harry’s open palm. 

“Never.” Harry whispers and Louis meets her eyes and smiles. 

They don’t say much else after that. Louis feels there isn’t much else to say to follow that up. But she knows that just sitting with Harry is better than what she had because it’s only now that she really understands how much she missed her presence. She gets tired and yawns and when she tries to hide it, Harry frowns. She tells Louis she smells like beer and she should go brush her teeth and go to sleep. But Louis tells Harry that she just wants to smell her hair for a little while longer and lays her head back on Harry’s shoulder. The sun has set and the stars are out, the moon won’t rise till later and Louis watches through the large overgrown tree branches as the stars flicker. Her eyes are starting to close and she sways as she sits up. In the dark, she looks over and Harry is looking at her with a smile, a true smile and her dimples are there and Louis reaches up and puts her finger against on. She cups Harry’s cheek and leans over and hugs her tightly.    
  
She wants to kiss Harry but not like this, not when she’s had a few to drink and she feels kind of sick now. Harry suggests once more for her to go in and go to bed and this time, Louis agrees and they part ways to their own homes. 

The next day is a Saturday and Louis has spent it being lazy. She woke up nearing noon and the sun was bright and the heat was heavy. She went downstairs to start coffee and to turn on the air. She yawned as she made her cup of coffee and took the chipped mug with Ren and Stimpy on it back upstairs. She sipped at the too hot liquid while she let the water warm up before she stripped from her clothes and got in under the heat of the water. Sighing with her mug in hand in the dark. She enjoyed having a shower with the lights out, she wasn’t sure why it was that such a little thing made her feel so peaceful. It was the best isolation to be alone in the dark, in her small shower. Surrounded by the eucalyptus fragrance of her shampoo.

She spent the day lounging around in nothing after that. Slowly sipped on her coffee until it had gone cold and then made frozen pizza. She’d stepped out back to have a quick smoke, in the nude and the sun beaming down on her skin. She’d tilt her head with her eyes closed, her knees pulled up to her bare chest as she sat in the long grass. Humming to herself a tune lost in her head on repeat. She couldn’t place it but she didn’t much care at the moment. She simply felt at peace and she welcomed it. 

Eventually, she ran out of smokes and sighed, pulling on a long sundress and sticking her feet into a pair of slip on vans. She grabbed her bag and whistled as she headed out the door. A smile on her lips as she pulled on her sunglasses and her long fringe out of her face with a small clippy. 

  
  


・・☆・ **H** arry・☆ ・・

 

Harry was in a mood. 

It was one of those moods where there really aren’t words to describe what is going on. She woke up sweating and the sun was blinding her eyes, it was only nine and she wished it had been later. Pulling a blanket over her head she tried to go back to sleep but it was hot and overall uncomfortable. With a huff she rolled out of bed and made breakfast grumpily, burning it. She was mad when she dumped her trash bag on the floor trying to clean up. When she dropped her plate of toast jam side down, she was close to tears. She was done when she saw a cat pissing in her new cosmos she had planted a few days ago. 

She was sitting outside with a wine cooler in hand after walking to the small corner store earlier and being too frustrated to do anything else. Her list of things she should be doing have been long forgotten in exchange for a six pack of wine coolers that cost far more than they should have. She’s sitting in the yard by the tree she hangs bird feeders from, her sleep shorts and the oversized shirt is all she has on. Her feet are bare, toes digging into the dry ground beneath them. She hears a noise and spots Louis walking along the curb, her arms out at her side for balance. Her mouth is moving and Harry can just barely hear her speaking. The closer she gets the more she can tell something is following her and when she realises what it is, she chokes on her cooler and spits it out. 

Louis spots her and tosses a wave as she approaches the shared yard and stops at the curb. She’s a short distance away from Harry and she blushes when she smiles at her. 

“Lou, are you aware you have a duck following you?” Harry eyes said duck as she slowly tilts back her wine cooler. 

Louis nods and turns around to look at the duck, “His name is Niall.” 

Harry laughs, “Alright, just making sure.” 

Harry watches as they both walk up the yard, past her and into Louis’ house. Harry shakes her head because she has seen weirder things. 

A soft hum leaves her lips as she reaches for another wine cooler and twists the top off, the metal pushing into her palm. She downs half the bottle in one go, closing her eyes and looking at out the row of small white homes. The sky above is bright and clear, not a cloud in sight and the sun is just as bright. She feels the heat falling across her skin and she tilts back the cooler, finishing it off before she falls back on the grass. Her skin itches where it touches the blades of grass and her back feels damp. Her hair fans out slightly around her and she watches birds fly from tree to tree. She lifts a hand and points at one that has landed on a branch above her.    
  
Her eyes narrow at the tiny dove, “Don’t poop on me. I feed you. I water you. You love me.”   
  
“Think it’s maybe too soon for that, love but I do find you rather endearing.” Louis’ voice responds and Harry tilts her head back some. Louis’ walking over to her, her long dress flowing in the gentle breeze. 

“Talking to the bird above me. If she poops on me, I’ll cry.”    
  
“We can’t have that now can we?” Louis asks as she sits beside Harry.

Harry looks over at Louis and reaches out, her hand touching across the soft fabric of the sundress she’s wearing. Louis glances over at Harry and smiles. Harry closes her eyes, her fingers sliding up and down Louis’ lower back. They sit quietly in the heat of the day, the occasional cool breeze brushing across their skin. Louis eventually lays back on the grass, her head beside Harry’s. Louis’ hand is trapped between Harry’s as she runs her fingers up and down Louis’ palm. They lay there silently, the birds around them chirping, a dog is barking in the distance and Harry sighs loudly, full of content with a soft hum following it as she sits up and turns to Louis.

Louis slowly draws her eyes from where she was watching a red finch hop along a long tree limb. She meets Harry’s eyes and smiles. Harry returns the smile before she licks her lips and leans down, hesitantly bringing her lips to Louis’. Louis reaches up and pulls Harry in, bringing the final closure between them, bringing their lips together. It’s gentle and slow, parting briefly. Harry’s smiling, both her dimples showing and Louis reaches out and pokes one. 

“Why do you have a duck named Niall?” Harry whispers before she kisses the corner of Louis’ mouth.

“Duck sitting. He leaves in the morning but he needed a place to stay tonight. I brought him home with me.”    
  
Harry nods and squints out at the setting sun, “Does that mean we can’t go out to the field?” Her stomach twists and she swallows before looking back at Louis. She’s nervous. She’s nervous because she has decided she wants to touch Louis beneath the stars. It wasn’t something she planned, it was something she realised when her lips touched Louis’. It was a fleeting thought and now, it is all she can think about in the last ten minutes. 

She wants to lay Louis out and bring her to pleasure. 

Louis inhales before she sits up and leans in, kissing Harry once more. Louis’ hand cups Harry’s jaw and her thumb brushes where her dimple would be if she smiled. She smiles against Harry’s lips drawing a smile in return, running her thumb across the dimple before pulling away. 

“I can make time for you,” she leans in to kiss Harry once more before she moves to her feet.

“Come get me later, yeah? I’ll be here.” Harry nods, watching as Louis heads to her place, disappearing inside.  

Harry turns her attention back on the sun setting behind the row of white homes. She watches the world in front of her for a few more minutes. Listening to the birds around her and the cars driving by occasionally, she takes it all in and smiles to herself.    
  
Harry starts picking up her empty bottles and the remaining full ones and heads inside. She puts everything away and goes upstairs to have a shower. Harry turns on the water and leaves, grabbing a clean towel from the cabinet at the end of the small hallway. She holds it against her chest as she takes it to the bathroom and sets it on the small bathroom counter. Slowly, she strips from her clothes before she grabs her brush and brushes her hair out. Her hands shake as she sets the brush down and tells herself to relax. It’s still a few more hours before she’s going to see Louis but she is nervous anxious. Harry steps into the tub and sits down at the bottom, letting the water fall over her like rain on a hot summer day. When the sky is barely cloudy but the few clouds open up and the rain just falls, drawing quick puddles against the heat of the earth and she sighs, tilting her head back and letting the water run over her bare skin. 

She keeps her eyes closed as she grabs the soap and a wash rag, wetting them before scrubbing her skin clean. Opening her eyes, she inhales the scent of rosewater and peonies. She remains seated as she washes the rest of her body, stretching her legs out in front of her and tilting her head to the side. She looks up at the spray of water before she gets up and grabs the shampoo bottle. The rosewater smell drifts from it as she pours some onto her open palm. Harry ran the shampoo through her shoulder length hair and tilted her head back as her nails scratched against her scalp. Turning her back to the spray she moved so the water was hitting between her shoulder blades. She closed her eyes before tilting her head back into the water, letting the rosewater shampoo fall down her body, down into a foamy spiral at the bottom of the tub. 

After Harry had finished her shower and dried off she tugged her hair into a sloppy twist, held closed by an oversized clippy and grabbed some clothing. She stood at the laid out outfits on her bed, looking at them with concern. The fear of Louis rejecting her later was weighing heavily on her shoulders as she decided to wear the black and blue running shorts with a shirt that matched. It was smaller, fitting to her body more and she tugged at it a little. She laid down on her bed, glancing at the alarm on her clock and sighed before turning off her bedside lamp and willing sleep to come. 

Around two in the morning Harry woke up and got dressed before sending a text to Louis. She didn’t get a response but decided to lock up her house and head next door anyway. Digging her nails into her thigh, she stood at Louis’ door having just rung the bell and shifted her weight from left to right. It was quiet around her, the occasional gust of wind blowing through the overgrown trees. It was almost calming, almost because her nerves were twisting inside her and now she was worried Louis wouldn't come with her. 

She tried the bell once more, pressing it twice and waiting. Leaning back she glanced at the window, darkness still behind it and Harry looked at her slip on shoes. She checked her phone, the message still sitting there by itself. Trying once more, she licked her dry lips before she turned and headed to go to the back of the houses where her truck was. Her heart sank with each step as she got to her truck and unlocked it before climbing into the driver seat. She looked at her phone once more, it was pointless as she started her truck and bit the inside of her cheek. She scolded herself for having any hopes because it was stupid, all just plain stupid and she was a fool. Harry started to backup to drive around Louis’ car and pull out of the drive, flipping her headlights on as she passed. She got to the edge of the driveway and leaned forward, looking both ways when a knock on her window made her jump, hitting the horn on accident. 

She rolled her window down frowning as Louis tried to catch her breath, “Harry,” she yelled and Harry pulled away from her window.

“Harry, sorry. I am so, so sorry. I forgot to plug my phone in and it was dead and I-” She was breathing heavily, her hand on her stomach. 

Harry shook her head and put her truck into park. She started to open her door but Louis wouldn’t move. 

“Louis, move,” she didn’t mean for her tone to sound so sharp and she huffed as Louis took a few steps back. Harry slid out of her truck and stepped aside, letting Louis climb in. Except Louis hesitated and Harry nodded towards her truck.

“You coming or not?” Louis nodded then and climbs up into the truck, sliding over to the passenger side as Harry gets back in. 

It’s quiet as Harry drives. She glances over a few times to look at Louis and in the dark, all she sees is her head against the window. Harry swallows, a small sigh escaping her lips as she reaches her right hand out and lays it on Louis’ bent thigh. She’d pulled her leg up and tucked it under her other one earlier on. Louis glanced at Harry and Harry offered a smile. 

“I’m sorry,” Harry said but even in the dark, she can tell that Louis is frowning. 

She pulls her hand away and puts it back on the wheel as she turns, “Don’t be, okay? You’re here now.”    
  
She can hear the smile in Louis’ voice as she responds, “I am, and there is nowhere else I’d rather be.”    
  
The rest of the drive out to the empty field in the middle of nowhere is covered in a comfortable quiet. Louis watching out the window as the city fades farther out, Harry watching the road ahead of her. Her nerves have slowed to a crawl and she isn't that worried at the moment about how she should go about this. She’s been with a lady before, but it was all minor and over the clothing. She’s nervous but she’s anxious. She thinks maybe this isn’t the time, maybe it’s too soon. Her fingers keep wrapping and unwrapping the steering wheel and she feels Louis’ hand on her bare thigh. Louis’ fingers dig into her skin and it grounds her. She focuses on the drive through the field as they sway and kick up dirt behind them before she comes to a stop. They hop out at the same time, the echo of two metal doors slamming shut and meet each other around the front of the truck. 

Louis immediately tugs Harry in by her shirt and places her lips against hers. It throws Harry off for a moment before she recovers and tugs Louis closer, - if it’s possible at all - by her hips. She slips her fingers beneath the thin fabric of Louis’ fitted shirt and their lips part. Harry pulls away slightly, licking her lips as she does and leans her forehead on Louis’. 

“I just want you to know, right now that, no matter what happens between me and you, I don’t want to let you slip from my grasps.” Louis’ voice is quiet and Harry swallows.  She thinks the chirping is louder than Louis’ voice. 

She nods and takes a deep breath, “I’m not going anywhere.”   
  
Louis steps back slightly, looking out at the field. “My project is done, basically. I was able to really use the photo I took of you as reference. But, I don’t want this to be the end of us. I like having more than just your background existence.” 

Harry walks around to her truck and opens it once more, grabbing the blankets she keeps behind her seat and closes the door before walking towards Louis. She hands one to her and they walk out a few feet from the truck. They both spread the blankets out in quiet and take a seat side by side. Shoulders touching as Harry looks up at the sky. She tilts her head, bumping into Louis’ head slightly and they both smile in the dark. 

“What is the largest constellation?” Louis breaks the quiet around them and Harry twitches her mouth, thinking for a moment. 

“Hydra. It takes up three-point sixteen percent of the sky. Constellation is basically a set of stars. Crux is the smallest.”    
  
“What is Crux?” 

“It’s nicknamed the Southern Cross, it looks like a cross,” Harry responds.   
  
Louis hums and leans on Harry, “Tell me something else.”    
  
Harry draws her eyes up to the night sky, scanning over all the stars. The breeze picks up and she inhales the late night spring air. The clean scent washing through her. “

“Capella is the largest and brightest yellow star that we can see, even beating out the Sun but it’s farther away, around forty-two light-years away. It’s also the sixth brightest star in the night sky and is in the constellation of Auriga. Third-brightest in the northern celestial hemisphere after Arcturus and Vega.” Harry looks at Louis and leans over, placing a kiss on her cheek. Louis stares at her. 

“I don’t want this to end, either. I want to see where this goes and what happens with us.” Harry finally responds to Louis’ words. Louis leans forward, kissing Harry softly making her melt against her, falling back to the blankets and bringing Louis with her. 

Louis throws her leg over Harry to straddle her abdomen, leaning back down to kiss her again, this time pulling a gasp from Harry as she does. Harry runs her hands down Louis’ sides and slips them under her shirt, feeling the warmth of her skin across her palms and she pulls away from the kiss. Louis looks down at her and leans in, nuzzling her jaw as Harry swallows and slides a hand up, finding that Louis isn’t wearing a bra. She pulls her hand back, balling her hand into a fist before laying it flat on Louis’ rib. Louis sits up, Harry’s hand falling away from the contact of her skin as she does and glances around before she pulls her shirt off and tosses it aside. Harry takes a deep breath, letting her eyes fall to Louis’ breasts in the dark before looking up at the sky above. She lets out a heavy breath as she feels Louis take her left hand, bringing it up to cup her breast. Harry keeps her eyes locked on a constellation above. 

“Please touch me,” Louis whispers and something in Harry clicks into place as she flips them both over so she’s hovering above her.  Louis is now on the ground, her legs spread with Harry between them. 

Harry leans down and places hesitant kisses along Louis’ neck, down to her collar bone. She nips at the warm flesh before placing small pecks down to her sternum. She feels Louis’ hand pull her hair from its messy twist and run through her curls that are still damp where they had been pulled back in a clip. 

Harry pushes up and looks down at Louis who’s tilted her head to the side some, her smile vibrant even in the dark of night. Harry swallows and leans down, placing her hand over Louis’ breast as she moves in, kissing her hard. Louis moans into her mouth and Harry runs her thumb over Louis’ nipple, pressing down slightly before she pulls from the kiss and replaces her thumb with her lips and wrapping them around the small nub. Louis’ hand is in her hair, twisting as she breathes out heavily, as Harry’s tongue laps over the breast of her skin. Harry pulls back abruptly and runs her hand through her messy hair and Louis sits up slightly, leaning back on her hands.

“I’m scared,” Harry speaks and she barely hears the words leave her lips. 

Louis wraps her arms around Harry and pulls her into a hug, “You don’t have to do anything. I am happy just sitting with you.”   
  
“But I want to. I want to make you moan, I want to touch you, taste you.”    
  
Louis swallows and nods, kissing Harry softly. “Do only what you want. Harry, I will take anything you give to me. And I will enjoy anything you do to me. My greatest pleasure is being beside you under this amazing sky.” 

Harry brushes her lips over Louis’, she’s shaking slightly and she feels slightly dizzy. “But I want to make you wet with it.” 

Louis’ lips hit against Harry’s and Harry’s gasping into the kiss, her hands digging into Louis’ thighs by her thighs and she sighs as she breaks away.    
  
“Take your time and just do it. Just do whatever you want to me. I promise you are not going to disappoint me.” Harry nods and kisses Louis again, pushing her back onto the blanket. 

 

・・☆・ **L** ouis ・☆ ・・

 

When Harry had invited Louis out to see the stars, the last thing she expected was to be laid bare out beneath them. To feel Harry’s lips on her skin, pulling gasps as she nipped her flesh between kisses and licks. To feel her fingers between her legs as she dragged her tongue down her inner thigh. She didn’t ever expect to be lying beneath the world above them that’s filled with constellations and balls of gas. She moans as Harry’s tongue gets close, so close to where her fingers are pushing deep inside of her and she draws her knees farther apart. She sighs as she digs her fingers into the blanket beneath her.

“Harry.” She moans and clears her throat, “What- oh fuck. What would happen if a star got on earth?” She knows it’s a stupid question and it didn’t even come out how she had thought it would. She looks down between her legs and sees Harry sit up some, pulling her hand away. 

Louis frowns for a moment before she feels Harry’s thumb run across her clit slowly, pressing down just slightly and she closes her eyes. 

“Neutron stars are incredibly dense objects and about ten miles across. Their degree in gravity keeps the matter inside from exploding. So if you brought even a spoonful back to Earth, the lack of gravity would cause it to expand really fast.”  Louis sighs, a soft moan falling from her dry lips as Harry slips two fingers back inside her, her thumb still gently massaging her clit.    
  
“It would likely vaporize a good chunk of our planet.” She leans down and kisses along Louis’ thigh and Louis mumbles something. She sits up a little and hums in question, “What was that, babe?”    
  
“Tell me -” She moans, a slight whimper following it as her teeth bite into her bottom lip. Harry’s fingers are slow, steady and there and she wants more. She wants her mouth, her tongue, her. Anything she can get from her. She looks up at the dozens of stars and finds one, watches as it dances for her. “Tell me more.” 

Harry moved back down to lay on her front, her lips kissing along Louis’ inner thigh as her fingers moved inside of her. “Pleiades is nicknamed the Seven Sisters. It’s a cluster of seven stars you can see. But really one can only see six with their eyes only.” Her lips kiss close to her thumb and she hears Louis inhale a sharp breath. “In mythology, the name was used for seven divine sisters, deriving from their mother Pleione, effectively it means daughters of Pleione.” She pulls her hand back and slowly replaces her thumb with her tongue and Louis’ hand reaches out, grasping her hair tightly. 

She keeps her mouth there, her tongue moving against Louis, pulling moans and gasps into the humid late night air as Harry learns ways to work her tongue. She takes her time with everything she does. She takes her time drawing it out until Louis’ near tears and pleading to come until Louis pulls tightly on Harry’s hair.  Harry’s moved her hand between her own legs, building some friction between her shorts and her body as she licks into Louis. Louis gasps out, her body tensing and her hand falling away as she hits her breaking point. She licks her lips, pulling her bottom lip into her mouth tightly with her teeth and moans out as she lets her lip go, her nails scratching up her stomach as she rides her orgasm out. 

She looks down to see Harry on her knees, her hand in her shorts and a soft whimper from her lips pressed tightly together as she draws herself closer. Louis sits up, and moves to her knees, cupping Harry’s cheeks in her palms and breaths against her jaw whisper, “Come for me, love. You can do it.” And places a heavy kiss on her lips. 

Harry does and moans into Louis’ mouth with her fingers deep inside her, she pulls away and her head falls on Louis’ bare shoulder, soft pants following as she tries to catch her breath.    
  
They end up laying there for another hour or so, Harry pointing out stars and constellations high above them as they hold hands and curl up side by side in their own world. Harry looks over at Louis and she smiles at her, reaching out to run her fingers over her soft cheek. Harry’s eyes close and she sighs with content as she buries her face into Louis’ shoulder. 

“Somewhere out there, is a whole other universe,” Harry says quietly, her warm breath ghosting across Louis’ skin. 

Louis draws her eyes up, blinking up at the dozens of stars, watching them. She feels so small as Harry’s words trail through her mind and wash over her. She feels so tiny when surrounded by the massive giants above that have existed for so many years, that will exist far long after she has stopped existing.    
  
“I hope in that universe, you found me there.”  She says quietly into the dark. 

She feels Harry move slightly, a soft kiss below her right eye. She keeps her focus on the sky as Harry speaks in a soft whisper, “I will always find you. No matter what universe we are in, I will always find my way to you.” 


End file.
